Improvement in fire-escapes



J. AMESS. Fire-Escape.

No. 204,473. Patented June 4,1878.

nJErERs. ruotaurnoamvnzn. WASHINGTON. b'c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JAMES AMESS, OF ROSEMOUNT, ONTARIO, CANADA.

IM PROVEMENT lN Fl RE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,473, dated June 4,1878 application filed January 16, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES AMEss, of the village of Rosemount, in thecounty of Simcoe and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented acertain new and useful Fire-Escape; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of my invention is to produce a portable lire-escape,bywhichpersons can safely descend from a burning building upon a single ropeattached and hung out of the window.

My invention consists of two hinged clamps, joined together by a chainor cord, one of said clamps being provided with a stirrup for the footand the other with a handle. Into the center of these hinged clamps areplaced three rollers, two on one half of the clamp and one on theotherhalf. Between these rollers passes the rope upon which the clamps slide,and which they are intended to grasp.

In order to more fully describe my invention, I refer to theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows my fire-escape hanging from a window of a building. Fig.2 is an enlarged sectional view of the clamps and rope. Fig. 3 is across-section of one of the clamps.

B and G are two clamps, made of any suitable material and formed in twoparts, flanged, as shown in Fig. 3, and hinged together at the top, ata, so that one half will fit into the other half when the two parts areclosed.

The clamps B and O are connected together by a cord or chain, H, so thatthe weight is conveyed from the lower clamp C to the upper clamp B.

Into the interior of the clamps B and O are fitted threefriction-rollers, F F and G. The rollers F F are attached to one half,and the roller G is attached to the other half, (see Fig. 2,) and insuch a relative position that when the two halves are closed togetherthe roller G fits between the rollers F F, and by acting against therope A, which passes between them, (see Fig. 2,) the friction producedcauses the clamp to gripe the rope A and prevent it sliding thereonfaster than desired. After one end of the rope A has been attached tosome fixture in the room, slip the clamps B and 0 over the rope.

The person about to use the escape places his foot into the stirrup E onthe clamp O, and with his hand seizes hold of the other clamp, B, thehandle D of which affords a support. The weight placed upon the clamp 0through the stirrup E closes it, which movement pinches the rope Abetween the rollers G and F F. The other clamp, B, being held by thehand, can be regulated so as to produce more or less gripe upon the ropeA, as may be necessary, to enable the party makmg use thereof to slidedown the rope with safety.

Having thus described my invention, 1 desire to claim The clamps B andO, joined together by rope or cord H H, and formed each in two flangedhalves, pivoted together at the top, and provided with threefriction-rollers, placed as shown, in combination with the rope A,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

This specification signed this 28th day of December, A. D. 1877.

JAMES AMESS.

Witnesses ISAAC B. RoUsE, SAMUEL NOBLE.

